I'm home-bound in self-isolation so I know little from personal experience, but I have read that some people in our town are reacting to the new way of life with aggressiveness which is a bi-product of fear. I know many are fearful and I understand this.
This pandemic is something that has disrupted and changed the lives of everyone around our world. No one is exempt. No one can receive two hundred dollars and pass go. This is not a game where we can say okay, enough, let's put the board away. No, this is our new, strange, reality. It's good to remember that we are all in this together and together we will get through this.
Thank you to those friends who have sent me private messages telling me how much they enjoy reading my blog posts. You encourage me to continue on with my ramblings.
For a little while this morning, I watched CBC news on TV. I try not to watch the news too often or for too long. But this morning I listened to Dr. Peter Lim, a CBC News medical contributor, talk about how our shoes can be carrying the virus. If this is the case I hope all my family and friends are taking off their shoes before entering their homes to help prevent the spread. I've always been in the habit of taking my shoes off when at home. I don't get a lot of joy out of housekeeping and I think my reasoning for removing my shoes at the door has been to keep down the amount of housework I need to do.
Of course these days I rarely have shoes on my feet. In my self-isolation I am quite content in my socks or my slippers. If it were warmer, I would love to simply be barefoot. I own many pairs of shoes but during this time of self-isolation I rarely put any on. And this feels good. I also can't recall the last time I put on my bra while dressing in the morning. This feels even better. I'm pretty sure many of my female friends will agree that this is another advantage created by the pandemic. The only place I venture into is my own backyard and I keep a pair of old, black loafers next to my back door. I was finally able to put the boots away and these are the shoes I wear outside. Even my shoes aren't leaving the backyard in these days of Covid-19.
Dr. Lim also said on the news this morning that we can expect the second wave of the virus in the fall. I was hoping it would all be a memory by then but we can only take the steps on our journey one day at a time or, better still, one moment at a time. To be in the moment is a challenge but, living in self-isolation, even this kind of a challenge is something to think about meeting.
I learned this morning that there are 2.5 million confirmed cases of the virus in the States. Here in Canada we have 31,927 confirmed cases. I understand that the number of confirmed cases in my small town remains at three. This is one statistic I pray will not increase. I do pray. I pray for our leaders and I pray for the end of this pandemic.
Today I've started a new on-line course with Udemy. The course is titled "NLP Practitioner Certificate Course" and it is facilitated by an instructor with the name of Kain.
This morning I received an email from him; one that I found very interesting. I'd like to share just a little of his message with you now. He writes, "While there are few things we can consistently count on in life, 'change' is one thing that we can - funnily enough, change is the only constant we have in this life - and it's also the one thing that many people find most difficulty with. I was once told, that when we're no longer able to change the circumstances of our lives, we are challenged to change ourselves instead. This is where many of us find ourselves right now. When we experience changes of the magnitude we see today, they often look harmful at first glance, but usually, over time, we soon realize that space has been created in our lives for something new and exciting to emerge. As with all storms in life, this one too shall pass."
Kain's email reminded me of the new serenity prayer as it was shared with me some time ago by my dear friend, Lesley Blake. This prayer goes like this. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change; courage to change the one I can; and the wisdom to know it's me."
Yes, we all know we can't change another person. But do we all know that change within ourselves is ongoing, a constant, something to be celebrated?
I'm grateful to all my friends and family who send me private messages on Facebook, sharing experiences and feelings about all that is going on in their lives. One friend in particular this morning surprised me with her words when she said, "Oddly the isolation suits me nicely. I have my books, tv, computer, food - what more could I ask."
Her words impressed me and I thought, she is one empowered lady, able to appreciate the positive, the opportunity, and the peace that is there for us in these crazy days if we are able to stay calm and collected enough to accept the gift that is presented to us.
I made a post on Facebook earlier today. The words were not mine, but I adopted them because they gave an apt description of the way I am feeling today. Here is the post.
Apart from my online courses, my piano lessons, my moderate aerobic workouts, my blogging, and my time spent with my furbabies, Sam and Lila, my days could be considered quite boring and empty. But, the fact remains, that is not my experience. I am not bored. I spend time in meditation, in deep thought, and I discover that I'm able to take a philosophical look at my own life and the changes that I am experiencing; the further changes I plan to make.
Like my friend who earlier emailed me and said, the isolation suits me nicely, I am also finding many benefits to this strange new way of life. I'm taking the time to get in closer touch with my feelings, my emotions, my memories, my hopes for the future, but mostly I'm taking the time to hopefully move a few baby steps closer to being the empowered woman I want to be.
I'm experiencing lots of change in my life, even as I type this blog post; lots of changes that may or may not have anything to do with the pandemic. And I feel okay. I actually feel very good and positive about the direction my life is taking. I am keeping the faith, trusting the truth of my mantra, "I am receiving all that is good in my life." Even though everything taking place in my life may not, to an outside observer, seems positive, somehow I know that it is. I know that life is unfolding exactly as it is meant to, and this makes me smile.
Thanks for listening to my rambling. This is my sixth blog post since I began to live in self-isolation.
I am grateful for the sunshine, for my early morning warm front porch, my backyard where, soon, I'll be able to do more than the daily poop patrols I currently carry out each day. Soon I will be weeding and raking and maybe even some painting in my backyard.
These pics taken last fall; when I was preparing the garden for winter.
I know I am blessed, and changes can and will come; they are welcome. I won't break. I am strong. I've long ago learned to bend and to sway in the winds of change.
I'm reminded of the old equation that I first heard years ago in a classroom, and one that I have often shared with counseling clients. "Awareness plus Acceptance plus Action equals Change." I feel pretty good because I'm aware and accepting of my current lifestyle. Many years ago I wrote a poem. I titled it the "The Power of One." I would like to share it with you but I can't. I have no idea where it is. It's one of many poems I've written. I went on a search for it but with no success. I remember one line clearly which is, "The power of one has just begun."
Somehow, today, this line means the world to me.
In my search for "The Power of One", I found several of my old poems. One of them titled "Through My Eyes", I will share with you because in these alone days of self-discovery and personal growth, the poem means a lot to me. Maybe it will mean something to you too.
Through My Eyes
Standing there on that hill, in the sun
Tall and strong in your homespun robe
Hands, calloused from using hammer and nail in the shop,
Too soon will be bleeding from someone else's
use of hammer and nail
For us!
You were a man's man in the strongest
sense of the word.
You were a ladies' man in the purest
Speaking of love and forgiveness
and judge not
Looking at you, through my eyes, Lord
I can't help but wonder
How You see me
through yours.
a poem written by me many years ago.
If I ever find the poem, The Power of One, I will share it in my blog.
Another day of self-isolation will soon come to a close. It's almost supper time now; time to feed my pups and to relax into the evening.
Again, thanks for listening to my rambling. Stay safe and healthy. I love you all.
Audrey.
I plan to resume counseling sessions with my beautiful clients
just as soon as authorities permit us to
be together once again.
If you have a desire to get to know yourself better,
to more clearly understand why you do the things you do,
then psychospiritual therapy
may be exactly what you want to experience in your life.
I am open to accepting three new clients,
in addition to those who already work with me,
once the world allows.
If interested, send me a PM on Facebook or
email me audrey@persona.ca
Our Getting High on Life Workshop for Women
focusing on Emotional Healing
and Being Authentic
is scheduled to take place
in the local library's meeting room
the afternoon of
Monday, September 21st.
I will hope to see you there.
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